MnO2-AgX Zeolite Nanocomposite as an Adsorbent Catalyst for the Decontamination against Sulfur Mustard Simulants

Abstract

The our main goal of the present research is evaluating the performance of MnO₂ nanoparticles-AgX zeolite composite as a novel adsorbent catalyst for the decontamination reactions of two most known sulfur mustard simulants; 2-chloroethyl phenyl sulfide (2-CEPS), 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (2-CEES) at room temperature and monitoring by Gas chromatography flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses subsequently. Prior to the experiment reactions of MnO₂ nanoparticles-AgX zeolite composite with sulfur mustard simulants, this composite was prepared through three steps; first NaX zeolite was prepared under hydrothermal method. In the next step, silver ions were loaded in the NaX zeolite structure via ion exchange procedure and silver nitrate solution as silver precursor for the preparation of the AgX zeolite. Finally, MnO₂ nanoparticles as an 18.4 wt % of unit were dispersed and deposited on the external surface of AgX zeolite through insitu impregnation method. The formation, morphology, crystalline phase, particle size and elemental component of the as-prepared simples were characterized by employing Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Atomic adsorption spectrometry (AAS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques. The GC-FID results denoted that both sulfur mustard simulants were decontaminated (adsorbed and destructed) completely on the surface of the composite in n-hexane solvent after 12 h. The hydrolysis and elimination products; 2-hydroxyl ethyl phenyl sulfide (2-HEPS) and phenyl vinyl sulfide (PVS) from 2-CEPS and 2-hydroxyl ethyl ethyl sulfide (2-HEES) and ethyl vinyl sulfide (EVS) from 2-CEES molecules were also identified by GC-MS, respectively.